


Pumped Up Kicks

by Nugiha



Series: The Ultimate Christmas Present [2]
Category: Degrassi, Degrassi the Next Generation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Crime, Comment Fic, Community: comment_fic, Don't Like Don't Read, Gen, School Shootings, Song Parody, To Read, To Rec
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-04
Updated: 2017-08-04
Packaged: 2018-12-10 12:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,373
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11691735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nugiha/pseuds/Nugiha
Summary: Connor has a gun and all the other kids in the pumped up kicks better run faster than his bullet.





	Pumped Up Kicks

**Author's Note:**

> Title: Pumped Up Kicks  
> A/N: A/N: AU fic, strictly written for fun. The ages are Jari 16. For story purposes, everyone mentioned(Jari's friends/various students from Degrassi) are all either sixteen or seventeen.  
> Fandom(s): Degrassi  
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
> Summary: Connor has a gun and all the other kids in the pumped up kicks better run faster than his bullet.  
> Rating/Warnings: R. OC, OOC, Mild to Strong Language, Violence, Adult situations/subjects, Character Death, Gore, Drug/Alcohol Abuse, and etc.  
> Pairing(s): None  
> Cast  
> Jari Coleman...Chase Ellison  
> Jari's mother, Diane Coleman...Lisa Dean Ryan  
> Jari's father, Mike Coleman...Tom McCafferty

Toronto, ON Degrassi Community School

Statistics showed that school bullying was _high_ , especially at Degrassi Community School, one junior Jari Coleman knew that firsthand. As did best friends Emma Nelson, Manny Santos, Liberty, Van Zandt, Clare Edwards, Alli Bhandari, Rick Murray, JT Yorke, Toby Isaacs, Eli Goldsworthy, and Drew Torres.

Eyes went around the school hallway as Jari witnessed Rick once again being shoved into a locker by Jay Hogart, Alex Nunez, and Spinner Mason. He locked eyes with Hazel Aden, Darcy Edwards, Darcy's younger sister Clare Edwards, Alli Bhandari, Bianca DeSousa, and Drew Torres as they approached their friend.

"Someone should do something about them." said Rick as anger flashed through his eyes, Jari could tell that the bullying bothered him more than he let on. Rick was in Jari's grade with brown hair and amber eyes.

Drew glared at the bullies who were laughing at the other end of the hallway, the only thing he felt for them was disgust. He had spiky brown hair with blue eyes. "I should kick their asses again."

"Your mom will flip if she finds out you got into another fight with them." Jari reminded his friend.

"Maybe you should just ignore them and they'll stop." Clare suggested. She was fifteen and had short light brown hair with blue eyes.

"Come on Clare, you know that never works." Alli rolled her eyes at her best friend. "This is the real world."

"You look like you could use one of these right now." Bianca said as she took out a pack of cigarettes and handed one to Rick. The bad girl was a troublemaker along with friends Mark 'Fitz' Fitzgerald and Owen Milligan.

Rick looked around before starting to smoke in the hallway. "Thanks."

Jari was surprised that Rick had actually accepted the cigarette from Bianca, the nerd usually begged off smoking and drinking. "You shouldn't light that up in here, you're going to get in trouble."

"I think that's the last thing he cares about." Drew placed an arm around the shorter Jari.

"Radditch needs to do something about them." Hazel said. "This has gone too far."

"I think we need another principal, the ineffective bullshit is why even the teachers hate him." Darcy pointed out.

Jari couldn't help but agree with his friend, Radditch had been a good principal once upon a time but had neglected his duties more and more recently. "Mr. Simpson's better than him."

Rick had long since given up hope that the staff would do their jobs properly and put a stop to the bullying. "Just forget it Jari, I've gone to Radditch more than once. He's made it clear that nothing is going to be done about it."

"I get that man and it doesn't help that the Principal turns a blind eye because of your history." Jari said.

Classes flew by quickly and that afternoon, Jari was walking into the bathroom when he bumped into an entering Rick. A gun was hidden beneath Rick's shirt. He knew what one felt like and wondered if his friend had finally been pushed over the edge. It had to have been the one usually hidden in the closet of Mr. Murray.

***

Empty Classroom

Not saying anything to his friend and knowing that he needed help, Jari caught sight of Emma walking from Media Immersions and pulled her into an empty classroom.

"Rick's changed since what happened with Terri, I can't believe you'd say something like that." said Emma as she gaped at her friend in shock, Jari had just told her that Rick had a gun a planned to use it.

Rick had once dated a popular student named Terri MacGregor, their relationship was met with disapproval by Terri's friends. Paige Michalchuk, Ashley Kerwin, Jimmy Brooks, and Spinner. The nerd turned _possessive_ and _abusive_ towards his girlfriend. Terri eventually ended up in a coma for months which was why Spinner, Jay, and Alex bullied him.

"I would never make this up!" Jari exclaimed.

Emma raised her eyebrows, the blond didn't want to believe the worst of her friend. "Are you sure that what you felt when you bumped into him was a gun?"

"It's not a mistake. My parents own a gun range, I think that I would know a gun feels like."

"All the other kids with the pumped up kicks better outrun his bullet. If Rick is truly coming from all the bullies who hurt him, then we need to knock some sense into him." Emma warned.

The school soon went into _lockdown_ a few minutes later, Principal Radditch announced over the intercom that there was a shooter. Jari hoped that it wasn't too late. He and Emma decided to split up to find Rick before he did something _crazy_. They needed to find him right away.

After Emma left, the door to the classroom opened as Rick walked in and quietly shut it. Shots were fired outside and a lifeless Holly J was on the ground with a bullet in her head.

"It's not you." whispered Jari after he and his friend were sure that the shooter had gone away from them, they had been quiet for what seemed like hours.

The duo looked outside and noticed Owen Milligan running away from the shooter, they then opened the door and grabbed the football player and pulled him inside.

"Jari, why would you think it was me?" Rick asked.

Jari had hoped to talk Rick down but it appeared that he didn't have to afterall. "Rick, you have your Dad's gun."

"It's not me though. As much as I hate Spinner, Jay, and Alex for all they've done to me, I couldn't do it." Rick admitted. "I was going to leave during lunch and put the gun back in the safe."

The smell of cigarette smoke flooded Jari's nostrils, he along with Rick and Owen realized that the shooter was nearby. _Bullets_ were quickly being fired outside. The shooter was definitely trigger happy and had waited for this for a _long_ time. Jari wanted a look at the shooter but didn't want to risk harm.

No matter fast Manny Santos, Liberty Van Zandt, Ellie Nash, Chantay Black, Darcy Edwards, and Dave Turner ran, they weren't able to escape the shooter's bullet.

The identity of the shooter was revealed to be Emma's younger godbrother Connor DeLaurier, Jari found his way to the gym. He then went back to the classroom with Emma, Terri, Toby's stepsister Ashley Kerwin, Jane Vaughn, Imogen Moreno, and Wesley Betenkamp.

***

Outside Degrassi

Hours seemed to pass before the shooting was announced to be over, Jari chased Emma out of the classroom and in front of the school. He knew that the blond wanted to make sure Connor was alright.

"Connor!" exclaimed Emma as she started to run towards her brother who still had the gun in his hand, Jari quickly pulled his friend back.

Connor aimed the gun towards his godsister, his finger was on the trigger but hesitant to pull it. "Don't come any closer."

"Connor, it's over." Jari said. "There's no need to hurt anyone else."

"Everyone that I hurt deserved it, they were either bullies or watched and said nothing."

Jari held his hand out, not sure why he was trying to reason with the unhinged teen. "Connor, I need you to give me the gun."

Sirens sounded in the distance and rather than being arrested, Connor had other plans.

"What are you doing?" Emma felt a tear slip down her face as she looked at her godbrother.

"I love you." Connor said to Emma before pointing the gun at his temple and pulling the trigger.

***

Epilogue.

Degrassi held a Candle-Lighting ceremony for Manny Santos, Darcy Edwards, Liberty Van Zandt, Ellie Nash, Chantay Black, Holly J Sinclair, Dave Turner, and Connor DeLaurier, some were friends and others were complete strangers.

Connor's _suicide_ had changed Emma in the worst ways, Snake and Spike decided to move after catching Emma sleeping with a random guy in their bedroom.

Rick decided that he didn't want to eventually follow in Connor's footsteps, he forgave Jari and then went to therapy. A student protest was arranged by a proud Jari which got Radditch fired from being the Principal.

**Author's Note:**

> This is all that I have to write for this story, thanks for reading. There are two sequels in the works that will come out sooner or later.


End file.
